A Prisoner to His Thoughts
by McAbbyGirl4Life
Summary: Hermione decides to have a chat with Ron in the Hospital Wing in hopes of renewing their friendship. Set in HBP!


**Here's my take on how I think Ron and Hermione became friends again in Half-Blood Prince! Hope you guys enjoy it! One-shot!**

**Disclaimer: Yep. Nothing. That is what I own of this. Nothing, Well, I mean apart from the brilliant writing that is...but the characters ect. nope. Those are Jo's.  
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><p>Ron by no means handled being prisoner with his thoughts for extensive periods of time well. He was never too keen on delving into his mind and discovering just how complex it was. Simpler was superior in his sincere opinion, though he was never apposed to bringing his astoundingly clever mind out when the moment called for it. Such moments included a game of chess or rescuing Harry or Hermione from imminent hazard. But apart from those, he rather detested the thought of conveying the brilliance of his mind for such atrociously monotonous endeavors such as homework.<p>

And yet here he was, confined to the lonesome solitary of the hospital wing, damned in its sorrowful walls streaked with memories of jaded patients that had once inhabited the very bed he laid in. Much to his discontentment Harry had little time to visit him in the hospital wing, and it was a dismal rarity to find another student coming to visit him for his friends were regretfully few. Very few. Too few.

This he lamented of course. But not truthfully so. He was never one to benefit from the company of various people. Honestly, the only two people he fashioned himself his friends were Harry and Hermione. And now his number of friends had dwindled to one, seeing that he had single-handedly mutilated his and Hermione's once priceless friendship. Now this he genuinely lamented.

Truth be told, he missed her. Dearly. Yes, Harry was his best mate, but Hermione…Hermione was his best friend. What the variation was between the two definitions he was quite unsure, but there was a distinction. A subtle peculiarity between the two defined relationships. Hermione had a certain technique of sparking him in a way that made him feel unusual, but for what reason he hadn't the vaguest suggestion. Maybe he would figure it out one day…all he knew was Merlin, did he miss her. And this, amongst numerous other reasons, was why he despised being abandoned with his thoughts. But what else was he to do to entertain himself?

Huffing irately, Ron rolled onto his side and shoved his fist moodily into his innocent pillow. Maybe sleep would put him in a better mood. Closing his eyes, he emphatically told his body to rest. After several minutes he came to the conclusion that it would not do so.

He distinctly heard a door snap shut, as he lay absorbed in his less than pleasant thoughts. He immediately sat up, hope clearing away his dreary thoughts as he craned his neck to see who was entering. His eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized the telltale mane of bushy brown hair. Hermione met his eye for a moment, than preceded to walk briskly to his bedside. A chessboard was tucked under one arm, Ron observed curiously.

"Hi." She greeted quietly, awarding him a brief smile.

"Hey." He responded dumfounded.

She took in an uncomfortable breath before continuing.

"I thought we might play a game of chess." She stated succinctly, glancing down at the chessboard clutched in her grasp. "If you wanted to that is."

"You know I'd never pass up a chance to you beat you at it." Ron replied roguishly. He then gave himself a mental shove that sufficed as a reprimand. He shouldn't tease her this soon, she could get offended and leave again.

Much to his relief Hermione merely smiled and answered with a swift, "That's what I thought."

They set up the pieces in an eerie silence.

"Why the change of heart?" Ron suddenly asked, abruptly breaking the stillness as he moved a pawn forward.

Hermione glanced up from the chessboard and for the first time looked him straight in the eye. Ron had remarkably forgotten how piercing her eyes could be. They had once frightened and intimidated him a fair bit, but now he admired their beauty and relished the familiarity of the stare.

"You almost died, Ron." She responded lightly but her emotions betrayed her voice and it shook slightly. She made a move.

"From how we've been lately, I'd thought you'd have had your fingers crossed about that poison doing me in completely." Ron replied, the ghost of a grin illuminating his face as he studied the board.

"I could never want you dead, Ron." Hermione replied seriously.

"So is that why you're here? To tell me you don't want me to kick the bucket? Well, blimey Hermione, thanks for the consideration." Ron said sarcastically. He hoped she would catch the teasing undertones that her ears were once so in tune with.

"I just couldn't bear the thought of you dying and us being well-the way we are right now." Hermione continued on solemnly, absently moving a random piece. "I mean to think of you dying and not knowing how much I still care for you and our friendship, regardless of your choice in a girlfriend…"

She avoided his gaze; her eyes steady on the board.

"Your turn."

Ron moved another piece.

"Hermione-" He began slowly.

"You know what this reminds me of?" She cut him off, a smile brightening her momentarily grave features.

"What?"

"Our first year. Do you remember the Sorcerer's Stone?" Hermione said, her eyes flickering with colorful memories and heroic reminiscences.

"Kind of a hard thing to forget, innit?" Ron replied with a delighted grin.

"The giant chess set was terrifying, and the way you beat it was so brilliant. I still can't shake that feeling of terror when the queen knocked you out. You were so brave…" Hermione trailed, speaking each word with an affectionate caress. Ron instantly felt his insides melting.

"Trying to make you come to was almost impossible. Then we had to get that letter to Dumbledore. We were a really great team."

"We always have been," Ron stated quietly, a myriad of luminous memories reliving themselves in his mind.

"Yeah, we have haven't we?" Hermione answered softly, a bittersweet smile engraved in her face.

"Oh, no!" She burst out suddenly, checking her watch.

"What?" Ron asked automatically.

"I have to get to class!" She replied with an energetic leap to her feet.

"Oh," Ron muttered, struggling to hide his disappointment.

"I'm really sorry, Ron. We'll finish our game later, I promise!"

"So you'll come back?" Ron inquired, an eager edge coloring his tone.

"Of course!"

"Hermione, wait!" Ron said grabbing her wrist before she was out of reach. He let go of her instantly as if he had laid his hand upon fire.

"Yes?"

"I-I missed you." He stuttered embarrassedly, his ears burning their infamous vibrant red.

Hermione revealed a small smile.

"I missed you too, Ron." She replied gently.

"Longest fight we've had, eh?" Ron wondered, pleased with the leniency in which she accepted him back as a friend.

"Yes, I do believe it's a record." Hermione answered with a slight grimace.

"Your next class is Potions isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Hermione replied, as she turned to leave.

"Well, why don't you skip it, seeing that the bloke almost had me killed?" Ron called after her hopefully, though he knew full well what the response would be.

"Oh, honestly Ron!" Hermione tossed over her shoulder with a captivating laugh as she rushed out of the hospital to her class.

Ron had never been more pleased to hear those words in his life.

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><p><strong>Ahhh, reviews are the warming hot chocolate in in the midst of winter to a writer! So...will you let me freeze, or give me a cup of coco? Uhh...I just now realized that this makes absolutely no sense...but I do love hot chocolate as well as reviews!<strong>


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